Imperfect
by Rawien
Summary: On the night of Elrond and Glorfindel's joining, the unexpected happens and the world is turned upside down.


Imperfect  
  
The morning of the rage of the fëar was a special day. It was the joining day of Lord Elrond and Glorfindel. Servants were all busy preparing the reception room and the various bedrooms for the guests that were expected to arrive at any time. A servant hurried across the hall with quick light steps and a large vase of fruiting orchids in his arms and almost collided head on with an elf. The servant was left embarrassed and apologetic as the young elf brushed himself whilst sitting on the floor from where he had dived to avoid any disaster.  
"Causing trouble already, Elladan?" His twin brother, Elrohir, and his father and joined-to-be, Lord Elrond, watched as the twin picked himself off the floor.  
"A thousand apologies, my Lord, it was I who was careless." The servant dipped low.  
"Carry on, Landir, you need not rush so much, it will all be done better with fewer disasters and more care," Lord Elrond gently consoled. The servant moved off with his lordship's wise words in mind. "I do not see why everyone is rushing here and there? Surely everything is under control?" He turned to Elrohir.  
"Father, you may not have noticed how much work has gone into making this day special, especially with all the special guests that have been invited to come."  
"Who invited them?"  
"You know who invited them."  
"Erestor. He was always the perfectionist." Elladan and Elrohir nodded in synchronicity. At that moment the councillor who was being discussed strode in.  
"Elrond, why are you not in your chambers resting? You are to be fully rested and prepared...and dressed to meet you guests. What are you doing here?"  
"I'm sorry, Erestor, I seem to have misplaced my timetable. I will go to my rooms at once." With that he spun on his heels and walked towards his chambers with a smile well concealed from his flustered chief councillor. Elladan expressively rolled his eyes, gave a shrug of his shoulders and followed.  
"I don't understand what had gotten into Ada. He is usually so composed and serious."  
"I don't believe I understand fully about what your father is up to but I have an inkling that he is just doing it to mock me."  
"Well I don't want you to be put down by his mockery." He lent to give a peck on his lover's cheek. "I think you are doing very well."  
"Thank you. I needed that." He surveyed the other elves wandering around with various decorations and bed linens in arms. "I should be getting back to finishing the preparations. I will see you soon." He gave a quick lusty look and a kiss on Elrohir's cheek and went off to enquire where a set of gauze layered curtains had reached. Elrohir sighed and went off to see if Glorfindel required any help.  
He found the elf smoothing the front of his robe in front of a full- length mirror. The outfit was a long cream affair with an inner tunic of a deep ultramarine blue. The sleeves of his robe were a pale blue with his crest of a golden flower embroidered in each cuff. Elrohir was amazed at the difference in appearance the captain appeared this morning. It was Glorfindel who was serious and he showed it by carefully adjusting the folds of his sleeves and he turned around to the right and left to check the robe hung just right. The twin had to try to suppress a chuckle as the older elf kept checking his outfit.  
"Glorfindel, I swear if you twist and turn in the manner one more time I will have to un-plait your hair!' The captain looked up in mock horror and made his way towards the window. He stood and reached gingerly up to make sure the intricately looped hair was still in place.  
"I wish you would not scare me like that!"  
"I'm sorry, it's just I've never seen you so nervous before."  
"It has been a long time since I wore a robe. It is not just any robe, but my joining robe. I'm worried I will look too starchy."  
"Hum, I do not think that impression is going to show. After all you are glowing ridiculously. I think everyone will pick up on your love for Ada more than the stiffness of you robes!" Glorfindel started to fiddle with one of the locks of his long straight blond hair. "Glorfindel, stop fidgeting. The guest will arrive soon and after half an hour you will be summoned. Please relax." He poured out a glass of wine and offered it to the captain. He took it gratefully and sat down, sliding his hands along the seat so the robes would not be creased. "Captain, that is pure woven melekern silk, it will not crease." Glorfindel gave a smile to stop his page from getting too worked up and noticed the air of authority that his friend had gained that morning. Elrohir was clad in light grey mid-length tunic. The hem was heavily embroidered with navy and silver thread with an intricate design of fruit and leaves. His eyes seemed a brighter blue than usual and his steps lighter and more carefully placed than the day before. Looking up at his page he realised that he was only nervous about his appearance because he had nothing else to think about. His heart was palpitating in a calm manner; pumping his true love for Elrond into every crevice and curve in his body.  
"You are right. I should stop worrying about the details and concentrate on the meaning of today. Thank you for making me come to my senses." Elrohir looked at him sternly, trying to gage whether he meant what he had said. Glorfindel sipped the wine and gazed into the distance. His eyes imagined Lord Elrond and the first time they had declared their love and how passionately they had given to each other. Elrohir noticed his distant look.  
"Very well. I will leave you presently, but I will be back and I expect you to be still sitting there, preferably reading a book."  
"Is there any type of book I should read or am I allowed to be open in choice?" A faint twitch of his lip showed his mockery as he reached for the well-thumbed manual for fifty positions, hidden by a deceiving cover that implied a more military theme in the content. Elrohir twitched identically.  
"You are open to a book of your choice. Remember I will be back soon." He turned and left the room thinking how perfectly mischievous Glorfindel was. His thoughts soon drifted to how perfect Glorfindel would be for his father.  
  
The clouds gathered to the north of Middle Earth. All of the Valar were unprepared for what was to come next. Mendos was least unsuspecting of what was going to happen for he was busy with watching the proceedings at Rivendell. The guests had assembled and were seated. The music was flowing and the couple had reached the front of the assembly. Elrond was clad in cream robes with a deep red inner tunic and the crest of the house of Rivendell proudly displayed on his cuffs. The weather turned for the worst as a wind picked up. The banners fluttered and were buffeted by the force, some were almost ripped off the poles they had been hoisted up but were unnoticed as everyone was watching the proceedings. A lightning bolt shot from the cloud and skewered the ground in the North. It stayed there for a second too long and shattered. The Valar's attentions were now upon the point where the lightning had dived. The ground sank in a slow and calculated deformation. The crack in the earth was wide and the deep and steep valley induced the Valar to straining to see into the darkness. Suddenly, a flow of translucent figures shot up into the air. The Valar were horrified by what was happening. The fëar streamed up and filled the underbelly of the cloud and waited. No one knew what they were waiting for, and by the time the Valar had collected themselves, it was too late to salvage them, for the fëar had drifted and sat upon the clouds and drifted across the lands. Some fell down to earth to walk among the forest they had known and the people they had lived with.  
  
The elven people were not trusting of the fëar and soon became afraid of them. None of them knew why the Valar let them free and it confused them. The fëar were not supposed to be free, they were not allowed to escape. But the fëar had waited long enough for their time to come and had grown weary of not existing either in Middle Earth or the Undying Lands. They wanted certainty and had found it by rousing together to force the dark walls in which they were caged, to be broken and they were to roam the world however they pleased. The Valar could not contain them, for they would only break out again, but found that by asking the fëar to trust them, they would be offered a place in the Undying Lands. Many of the spirits trusted them and did live in the lands but some were content with life among the earth they had come from. The Valar refused to give those that remained on Middle Earth flesh and for that the far swore to roam the earth causing mischief and turmoil where ever they travelled. They learnt to disguise themselves and soon the elves and men forgot that they existed, accepting that the earth was no longer perfect. The elves eventually all left for the Undying Lands and the men grew to be imperfect. 


End file.
